There are four fire festivals of Aset this week! A great way to represent Her solar or stellar light is to light candles.

Festival of the Birth of Aset, with the Beautiful Throne, the Great Goddess celebrates Aset’s birth in Her aspect as the throne Goddess. On Her birth festivals, candles were lit for Her.

Appearance of Sopdet is the half-way mark of Aset-Sopdet disappearing into the Duat to return on the New Year. A candle is lit to represent starlight.

Burning the Widow’s Flame is a solemn occasion where Aset as Wesir’s widow prepares Him for the Duat. A flame burns for Aset on Her shrine.

Aset Luminous is Aset’s Festival of Lights where She searches for Wesir. Prayers are written on paper, folded into boats with a tealight in it and floated on water in a sink, tub, river, bowl or ocean to carry the prayers to the Goddess.

26 of 3 Shomu to 15 of 4 Shomu-Festival of the Birth of Aset, with the Beautiful Throne (Isis Nepherses), the Great Goddess
28-Appearance of Sopdet
30-Burning the Widow’s Flame

4 Shomu/Mesore/July

2-Aset Luminous: Procession of Aset, the Brilliant, Mother of God
16 of July-Ferrying of Aset, the Great Goddess
16 to 17 of July-Festival of the Birth of Aset
19-Celebrate your Feast of your God.
20 of July-Festival of the Birth of Aset
22-Festival of the Children of Nut and Geb
26 of 4 Shomu to 4 of Extra Days-Festival of the Foundation of the Temple (of Aset and Sobek)
28 to 30-Festival of the Birth of Aset

Daughter of Ra (1)
Divine Mother (2)
Eye of Ra (3)
Great (4)
Lady of All the Gods (5)
Lady of Heaven (6)
Lady of the House of Life (7)
Lady of the Netherworld (8)
Lady of the Sacred Land (Necropolis) (9)
Lady of the Two Lands (10)
Mistress of the Beautiful House (11)

I said protection. And I was a little flustered so I couldn’t think of other things to say. Love was another answer too. I’m not used to talking religion with people in person and with family members no less.

I thought this was a good answer, but it’s not all of it. It is so much more complicated.

I’ve been drawn to Aset since I was nine years old. My Dad went to Egypt that year and got me a pendant of Her. I wore it all the time. Then, that Christmas, I got a book on Egyptian Mythology. It was George Hart’s Egyptian Myths. Then came the love of all things Egypt. But Aset (Isis as I knew Her then) was always my focus. I read about Her for years. I read about the Fellowship of Isis and Olivia Durdin-Robertson. I read some of Budge’s works before I knew better. I read other books too.

After learning that Budge’s work wasn’t the best source, I cooled on Egypt for awhile. I read comic books and fantasy and science fiction novels. I read books about mythology. Japanese, Egyptian and Norse were my favorites to study.

I was enamored with mythology and religion. It’s no wonder I went for Religious Studies degrees in college. But I digress.

Why do I worship an Egyptian Goddess and Aset no less? She’s been there in my life since I was 9 and never left! 🙂 I do love Her as a child loves her mother. She created me so a part of me is like Her, like when DNA is passed down from one generation to the next or in this case, personality traits and existing within existence as an autonomous being. Entwined within the hum of my soul is MY NAME and She is there. She spoke my Name upon my creation. She is my Mother.

And this is one reason I honor Her.

Because She is my Mother, I do Her work in the world. For we are the Hands and Eyes of God. I write for Her. I record hymns and names and the history of Her worship. I honor Her with offerings on a nominally daily basis.

A Blessed Summer Solstice to everyone! I’m honoring Aset as the Solar Eye for this festival along with Sekhmet-Mut for the Egyptian pantheon. Some friends are coming over to celebrate. We’ll offer our feast (also known as dinner) to Them and other offerings such as wines, tea, pastries, cookies and candles lit upon all the shrines so they blaze as fiercely bright as the summer sky.

Since this is also Midsummer Festival for the Northern Gods of Scandinavia and other Germanic Lands, I’ll also be honoring Frigga and other Northern Gods in my home. I’ll offer wines and tea and the others can bring their offerings for Them as well.

Hail the Gods and Goddesses of Egypt!

Hail the Gods and Goddesses of the Northern Lands.

May offerings be laid upon the shrines.
May prayers be spoken and heard.
May songs be sung in praise.
May blessings flow.
May the light shine brightly, fiercely glowing in our eyes and hearts.

Today is a Two-for-One! There are two festivals celebrated for Aset today: Marriage Contract of Aset and Procession of Aset.

The Marriage Contract of Aset celebrates Aset’s marriage to Wesir. Give offerings to Aset and Wesir today. Bake them a marriage cake or some other pastries. OFfer Them flowers or garlands. Off Them water, fruit and vegetables. Offer Them love. Partake of the offerings to receive Their blessings.

Processions can be celebrations of the Solar Goddess (Aset, in this case) uniting with Her Father Ra to renew all of creation. Also, processions were times of oracles and divination via procession by sacred boats. You could do oracles or divination for the Goddess today. You could offer Her flame as a solar deity and you could honor Her Father Ra as well.